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Author
Topic: Plz help me (Read 17627 times)

Hello,About 5 weeks back I had sex with a CSW. the intercourse was straight and I had a latex condom on from the beginning till the end. Now over the last two weeks strange symptoms have started appearing. I got a strange looking rash between my inner thighs and scrotum. I went to see a doctor and he said that it was a fungal infection and prescribed me some cream and tablet. Also I have been feeling dizzy and feel pain in my joints and general tiredness and diahrrea bouts. I have not had any night sweats or enlarged lymph nodes. Although I have gone through the literature and this is a low risk situation but somehow I belive that I might be experiencing ARS. The condom did not break or slip off during the intercourse, however, i have read some articles which state that condoms provide upto 85% prevention from HIV. So please elaborate whether I could have got hiv from this incident. I would like Ann and Andy's advice on this oneThanks.

Thanks for the reply Rapid. But could u clarify that why are latex condoms 85% effective even when used correctly and consistently. Does this take into consideration that the condom was not broken, there was no slippage, it was latex, and was used way b4 its expiry date? Also the symptoms are making me go crazy.

You did not have a risk for hiv infection. Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection.

There have been long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

If you feel unwell, see a doctor. It's nothing to do with hiv as you did not have a risk.

Here's what you need to know in order to remain hiv negative:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST OVER THIS PROTECTED INCIDENT, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hello,Great to hear from the experts and all the reassurances. However, still wanted to share that I have been experiencing body aches and body stiffness and other problems that I mentioned in my earlier post. If Ann or Andy could elaborate on why the cdc and fda claim that effectiveness of latex condom is 85%. Thanks

http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htmSexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV Infection, Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In addition, consistent and correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including diseases transmitted by genital secretions, and to a lesser degree, genital ulcer diseases. Condom use may reduce the risk for genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV-associated diseases, e.g., genital warts and cervical cancer.

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens.

Hello,Although I was not drunk and recall that the condom did not break and was latex, however, the fatigue, weakness in joints and limbs, and dizziness is making me go nuts. I think that i might have contracted the virus. I plan on taking the HIV 4th generation test. Today is the 36th day after the encounter? should i take the test now or should i wait till the end of the 6th week to put my mind at ease. And how reliable are tests after 36 days. Please shed some light on it.Thanks

Where there has been an actual risk (you did not have a risk), one should test no sooner than six weeks. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. Where there has been an actual risk (you did not have a risk) a six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point.

You can test when you like and as often as you like, but you will not end up hiv positive over this protected encounter. You will not be permitted to use this website to go on and on about your NO RISK incident.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hello All,Yesterday i noticed that the lymph nodes in my groin were enlarged and that you could actually feel by touching the groin area. Also the weakness coupled with the joint pain has terrified me. Please tell me what this might be if its not HIV?Thanks.

 Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.

Hello All,Yesterday i noticed that the lymph nodes in my groin were enlarged and that you could actually feel by touching the groin area. Also the weakness coupled with the joint pain has terrified me. Please tell me what this might be if its not HIV?Thanks.

We are not able to diagnose your condition over the internet. No one is able to do such a thing. We can tell you on the basis of what you've reported that you were not at risk of HIV infection and therefore whatever is making you ill, it's not HIV.

If you are feeling ill, please consult your doctor.

You have been told that you will not be allowed to use this forum to go on endlessly about non-risk situations. Post about this again and you riskl being given a 28 day time out.

Okay I have some good news to share. I tested for HIV on the 39th day of my encounter and the result came today as NEGATIVE. It was a fourth generation Combo Abbot HIV test. Just wanted to share with everyone!!!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Okay,I was stupid and today i again had a sexual encounter with a CSW. however, as soon as i inserted my penis into her vagina, the condom popped and i immediately withdrew my penis from her. I am very scared, should i go for PEP? whats the risk situation? I asked the CSW if she always used condoms, she said that usually she does use condoms, however, if the customers persist then she has had sex without condoms. Please tell me what to do?

Even if she is HIV+, what you have described is a very low level risk which I would not consider something that warrants PEP. PEP uses very potent drugs which are not to be taken casually by the way.

HIV is a fragile virus and it is significantly more difficult to transmit from female to male than the other way around. You had a single and very brief possible exposure. All of that points to it not being something for which PEP is indicated, but of course you have to decide for yourself whether to request that or not.

As a precaution you ought to test at 13 weeks to confirm your negative status. I would certainly expect you to test negative. You can if you wish test at 6 weeks for an initial result. A negative at that point is a very strong indication that you will continue to test negative.

You also need to be aware that PEP extends the testing period to 13 weeks from the completion of PEP.

PEP is not indicated for such a brief insertive incident with a person of unknown hiv status.

Make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use them correctly. A correctly used condom rarely breaks.

The two leading causes of condom breakage are 1) not making sure there is no air-bubble in the tip of the condom. This is most likely what happened to you. 2) Not using enough or any water-based lube.

You would be wise to test at the three month point, but like Andy, I fully expect you to test negative. I've yet to see the insertive partner end up positive over a condom break. I don't expect you to be the first.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I am sad, depressed and angry for exposing myself to such a stupid situation. However, Andy and your words have shown me some ray of hope. Ann, Could you please elaborate that u have not seen any one turn positive when one is inserting the penis. I don't want to sound rude....but how many incidents can u recall in this type of situation? and has anyone turned positive like this?

I'm talking about my nearly ten years experience in answering questions in the Am I Infected forum. I've lost count of how many hundreds we've had who have come here asking questions following being the insertive partner whose condom broke. None of them ultimately tested positive.

The reason for this is what Andy already told you; hiv is much more difficult to transmit from the receptive partner (or woman) to the insertive partner (or man). This is because hiv can only infect a very few, very specific cells. The only place these cells are found on the penis is in the lining of the urethra (where you pee from) or the inner side of the foreskin if you have one.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hi,So i requested the CSW to take the HIV test. she has no idea what HIV is!!! anyways we went to the lab yesterday and today the result came back negative for hiv for the csw. the test was performed using a fourth gen Abbot combo test. I know that this does not necessarily eliminate the possibility of being hiv infected coz she might be in her window period. however, this negative has given me some confidence that may be i am going to be alright.

Hello,I know this is a HIV specific forum but I have no where else to turn to. My question is how long do i have to wait to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea? I would really appreciate if some one could help me with that.

Hello,I know this is a HIV specific forum but I have no where else to turn to. My question is how long do i have to wait to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea? I would really appreciate if some one could help me with that.

Thanks

The testing window period for chlamydia is less than 1 week for urine PCR testing and culture swab. For syphilis the window period is 3 months.

Interpreting test results for both of these conditions is somewhat complicated and outside of the scope of this forum

We will not answer any further non-HIV related questions from you so please do not ask.

Most of the other STIs can be tested for a week to ten days after a risky incident, or sooner if a discharge appears. You need to know that some STIs do not produce noticeable symptoms in everyone. Up to 60% of men and women who have been infected with chlamydia, for example, never have any symptoms. Therefore, it is always a good idea to test after an unprotected encounter, no matter how brief.

While you were at much higher risk of being infected with something like chlamydia, you were at very low risk of being infected with hiv due to this broken condom. I do not expect you to test hiv positive over this.

Now you just need to relax and get productively busy until it's time for you to test. And as Matty says, no more non-hiv questions, PLEASE!!!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks, Matty the damned and Ann. You have clarified my questions regarding other STI's. I was pretty much satisfied that i did not contract HIV from the broken condom incident from your reply that you have never seen an insertive partner test positive for HIV, couples with the fact that the CSW tested negative. However, your current reply has again fed some fears inside me although I am not too terrified.

Hi Ann,Since you said that you have never seen an insertive partner turn positive after a condom break and the fact that the CSW tested negative on the 4th gen duo/combo test, do I need to test or should i forget about it and relax?

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Yes Ann, I have been tested before. I am a sexually active person and the condom has never failed on me until now. Anyways i was last tested for HIV on 14th december 2010 and it was negative. The test was a fourth generation Abbot combo test for HIV 1 & 2. Anyways I hope and pray that I come out of this okay!!!!!

Meantime while you are waiting to test you need to make a real effort to focus on other matters in your life. Doing that will make the waiting time go more easily than you may imagine is possible. Really.

Hello,As you guys know that on the 4th of jan this year I had a very brief broken condom incident with a female CSW. It was straight vaginal sex, myself being the insertive partner. Anyways It is almost 4 weeks from that encounter, I was wondering that whether I should test after a month or 6 weeks. I also had the CSW tested for HIV usiing a 4th gen Abbott test and she was negative what do u think that my chances of turning positive would be? I am asking this becoz i was negative before this encounter and i am feeling some symptoms. If anyone would clarify I would be grateful.

Andy,What confuses me is that why cannot one judge one's status from someone else's status afterall it is some one being positive that one ends up being positive. I am reliably negative before this broken condom incident and the prostitute was negative one day after my incident. I just wanted something that could evaluate the risk that I have had. I hope i am making some sense.

You can never go by someone else's hiv status to determine your own for the simple fact that the other person may have been in the window period when they were tested.

For example, for argument's sake, lets say the sex worker had been infected two or three weeks before your incident. Her viral load would be very high at this point, making her very infectious, but an antibody test would still likely come back negative. A p24 antigen may also come back negative at this point as the p24 antigen disappears in the first two to three weeks, and sometimes before enough antibodies have been produced to trigger a positive antibody result.

The ONLY way to accurately know your own hiv status is to test at the appropriate time - which is at six weeks and three months (for a six week negative confirmation).

Even if the sex worker was newly infected, you are still highly likely to test negative over a broken condom.

I fully expect you to test negative, but you do need to test to make sure.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I will have been a member of these forums for ten years in March and I have NEVER seen the insertive partner end up positive following a condom break. Never. I've never heard of it happening outside these forums either.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hello Ann,I was going through the "Tested Positive Recently" forum and I found a post by "ThatsAll" claiming to end up positive after a one time condom break. Now this has me all petrified, kindly comment on whether this could be the case as u have said that in your more than 10 years of experience u have never seen anyone end up positive after a condom break.

That person has not yet had their positive result confirmed. It could easily be a false positive. We also do not know his prior testing history. He could have been positive for years from another exposure and not know it because he never tested until he learned his partner was poz.

You need to get a grip, relax, and stay off the internet until it's time for you to test. It's not our job to hold your hand during your window period. If you need extra emotional support, get counselling.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hello,Since yesterday I have had a blister at left side of the back of my throat and the lymph node in my neck is swollen. I also have tiny red spots on the left side of my tongue and it hurts for me to swallow food. I know that sore throat is one of the main symptoms of ARS. Also I have had tiny red spots on my legs and one discolored/white spot about 1 cm on my thigh. Since yesterday I am having loose stools, about three so far. I have not had fever or high temperature, however, I am extremely scared that I am experiencing ARS. To be exact today is the 31st day since the broken condom incident. Please tell me whether this is HIV related? Also I cannot wait till the end of the sixth week and I plan on taking the 4th gen combo test on the 34th day after my encounter. How reliable would that be? What would be the chances that I am actually negative?I cant believe that life could be so unfair that i am infect after one broken condom incident-that too only for a max of 5 seconds-and that the CSW tested positive on a 4th generation hiv combo test. Help me out here...plzz!!!

The chances of you testing negative are huge, as we've been telling you since you first arrived here.

Blisters are not a feature of the sore throat that occasionally accompanies seroconversion. See your doctor. It's not hiv causing your symptoms.

As you should already know if you've been reading our replies, a 34 day test is not conclusive but would be a good indication that you will continue to test negative - which is the result I'm expecting.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hello,I went for an HIV fourth generation combo test (HIV 1 & 2) yesterday and today I got the results which is NEGATIVE. All you experts out there, how reassuring can this test be considering the fact that as soon as the condom popped i withdrew my penis. Secondly the CSW was tested using the same 4th gen HIV combo test and she was negative too. And thirdly my negative result 33 days after the encounter.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

So once again I fucked up.. This time it was with a Turkish CSW. During sexual intercourse my condom broke, however, i withdrew immediately and changed the condom and finished. Now I know that the usual drill is to wait atleast 6 weeks before I go for a HIV test. Kindly tell me what are my chances of contracting HIV from this Incident. Plz help me, Iam freaking out!!!